Eternity
by Yih
Summary: [COMPLETED!] Eriol x Sakura. Features TY as well. Will Eriol ever get the guts to tell Sakura what he really feels about her? RR: isn't this a rare sort of series?
1. Escape into Dreams

Title:  **E t e r n i t y**

Author:  Yih

Written:  December 2001/January 2002

Disclaimer:  All rights are Clamp.  

Visit my websites at http://www.seiki.f2s.com (did I mention in the fanfic section there's a drawing of Dangyun!?) and http://devoted.to/hanakimi 

1: Escape into Dreams

The black and white contrast of her milky skin to the dark mystery of her eyes sent a spark of pure desire down his spine.  There was only one perfect soul and he was staring into her loveliness right now.  The beauty of her physical glory made him yearn, but the sheer sweetness of her sensitive spirit made him ache.  There wasn't anything that he wouldn't do for her given the chance.  

Now there just had to be a way to express the raging emotions trapped within his outer façade of cheerful contentedness.  Yes, there had to be a way to tell her just how he felt about her.  But the question was how?  Did he tell her directly how he felt, or should he try for a more subtler approach?  How should he go about telling the objection of his affection his undying adoration of her?  Especially when she was the ever optimistic and totally clueless Sakura.

"Sakura…" he whispered her name romantically, the deep intonation vibrating a particular kind of warmth.  "I… I…" his voice trailed off as his words were sucked away by the captivation he had with the purity of her aura.  "I like you.  

"No—no," he rushed, "I really like you.  No that's not right either.  I—I love you, Sakura." 

After a moment of unbearable pausing, someone began to clap softly.  "Bravo!  Bravo, Master!" exclaimed Ruby.  "Now that would have been an absolutely great confession of your passionate feelings for the lovely sorceress if that likeness of Sakura hadn't been a photograph you took of her on the sly.  But I must admit, Master, you need to brush up your technique quite a bit.  You're nothing like you normally are around her.  She'll think you've been struck by Cupid's arrow of clumsy love."  

"Ruby!" admonished Spinel.  

"Oh, stop being a drag Suppy," she retorted.

"What did I say about you calling me 'Suppy'?  It's Spinel!" raged the black cat.  

"Suppy!  Suppy!  Suppy's angry!  But Suppy's got such a cute name!  Suppy!  Suppy--"

"Ruby…" began Eriol in a low voice, "that's enough."  

Spinel smirked at Ruby and turned to his Master.  "You really should tell the girl how you feel, Master.  It would be for the best.  You've been talking to that photo for way too long.  It's time that you stopped holding off the confrontation.  It's going to have to happen sooner or later."  

"Now that's the spirit," cried out Ruby.  "I think I suggested that, oh let's say several weeks ago.  Really Suppy, you've got to get with picture.  I mean, really you're way behind the groove.  I thought you were suppose to be a slick cat."  

"No, I'm not that low," Spinel growled.  

"And I suppose that I am?"  

"Precisely," he confirmed.  

"Why you little--"

"Suppy!  Ruby!" reproved Eriol.  

"AHAHAHAHHAH!" Ruby pointed at Spinel, laughing her eyeballs out.  "Master called you 'Suppy,' that is your name!"  

"I'm Spinel.  I'm Spinel Sun!"  

"You two, give it a rest," he muttered, "before you give me a bigger headache than I already have."  

"We were only trying to help, Master," responded Spinel.  

"Yeah!" injected Ruby in agreement.  

"I know you both are," replied Eriol kindly, smiling that sweet smile of his.  "But could you please leave me alone for a few moments?"  

"Sure Master," answered Spinel, throwing a hinting look at Ruby to leave the room with him.  

"But Master, you aren't going to go looking for Sakura without us, are you?  Promise me that?"  begged Ruby.  "It's been so long since I've gone anywhere.  It's been really boring actually.  All I do is sit here, cook here, and sleep here.  There's nothing to do."  

"Now, if you hadn't added anything after that tear jerking opening, I would have thought you were being considerate for once," quipped Spinel, "but you had to continue and prove me once again to be utterly correct.  I knew you could never show true concern without gaining a little."  

"But I do show concern," she protested, watching Eriol heave a tremendous sigh before leaving the room.  "I do want Master to get together with Sakura, I just don't want to be the one left behind.  And sometimes, I worry what will happen to us when he actually does get together with Sakura.  I mean they both don't really need us for guardians anymore besides the grunt work.  Together, they'd be unbeatable."  

"Don't be silly, Ruby," responded Spinel.  "Sometimes you are ridiculous."  

"Am I really?" she asked, her eyebrow rising.  "He did abandon Yue and Keroberos after all.  Why couldn't he do the same to us?  I mean we aren't even the originals.  They were.  He might have perfected the guardian creation in us, but that doesn't mean he's more fond of us.  Sometimes I think he doesn't like us at all."  

"If he didn't like you, I wouldn't be surprise," he retorted.  

"Shut up, Suppy.  I'm trying to be serious."  

"Yes, for once."  

"Suppy!" she exclaimed, throwing her fist in front of his cute face.  "You're going in the wrong direction!"  

Spinel narrowed his eyes.  "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, it's not Suppy… it's SPINEL.  Do you want me to spell it out?  S-P-I-N-E-L.  It's not that difficult, even for one your intellect."  

"Are you referring to me as…"

"Yes."  

"Why you little…"

"Really," Spinel replied with a yawn, "you are going to have to be quicker or just concede defeat."  

Ruby's face glowed with her anger and her skin became flushed with her rage until she almost resembled the jewel of which she was named.  But as in the case with Ruby, nothing perturb her for long.  And there were other important matters of which she wished to discuss, namely the guardian issue.  "Okay, Spinel," she began, surprising even him who normally expected everything, "for once, I don't care about teasing you or tormenting you, but try to be serious, okay?"

"Okay."  She had nearly rendered his speechless.

"What I said before about Kero and Yue, that does pose a probability doesn't it?"

Spinel heard a trace of worry in the normally exuberant voice of a carefree Ruby Moon.  Now, that was a rarity which he believed he had never heard before and that caused him to react in quite a different way than he usually acted around a Ruby question.  He would given the opportunity make fun of her anyway he could, but this was somehow different, that and the fact he'd given his word.  And he was always one to keep his word, even one such as she.  

"I doubt it.  He did have a purpose before, I would gather he saw that Yue and Kero would find one as special as he was to her, which is well visible in their extreme loyalty to her.  He wouldn't do something to us blindly as he is now since half his magic is gone, and he is no longer forced to see the future," responded Spinel thoughtfully.  

"But still…" Ruby's voice trailed off with a hint of uncertainty.  

"No, it's not," he reaffirmed.  

Ruby flashed him a smile.  "Thanks, I needed that."  

"I still think you're foolish."  

"I still think you're a cute, cute little Suppy!"  

Spinel rolled his eyes, thinking it was starting all over again.  

Eriol sighed deeply, sitting down on the armchair—almost collapsing into it because he was so weary and tired.  At these times, he missed the calm Yue's continuously quiet presence.  His lips curved up into a slight smile as he thought of how Spinel was to Yue as Ruby was to Kero, a queer switching of reversal roles.  

But even though Spinel's and Ruby's advice was sound, and he should take it… he didn't know how to go about taking it.  He wasn't sure if he really wanted to approach Sakura with his feelings for her just yet.  Especially since he was pretty sure she didn't feel the same way about him.  How could she?  He had at a time been her enemy, in her eyes—though all along it had been for her own good.  

"Oh, Sakura," he murmured to himself, "how do I tell you my feelings for you?  How do I go about telling you that 'I love you'.  I can't even confess it with confidence in front of a resemble of you—a mere photograph.  I'm hopeless in love with, but I'm unable to express it where it counts… in front of you.

"I feel incompetent trying to express myself to you.  But if love wasn't awkward, it wouldn't be so elusive and searched for, I suppose.  That still doesn't stop me from wanting my confession to you to be pure and smooth, infinitely lovely.  I want perfection when I tell, so that I can look back on the day and remember ever sweet moment when my dream will finally be realized."  

He sighed as he took out the picture he kept of her in his pocket.  He traced the beauty of the much worn out photo, he had had Ruby take on the sly.  It was Sakura smiling, her eyes wide after just laughing at something ridiculous Kero had whispered into her ear.  Yes, this was the way he imagined Sakura in his dreams.  This was the way he imagined she'd be like if he was ever to be with her when he closed his eyes.  

_"You've come," he whispered in amazement.  "You came."  _

_"Of course I came, did you think I wouldn't?"  _

_"But you and Syaoran…, aren't you two together?"_

_"That ended long ago, you should know that I've been missing you," she told him with a sweet smile.  "Why didn't you ask me to come sooner?  I would've come at the first word, but you waited so long.  Don't you know how much I want to be with you?"_

_"I never knew," he answered, regret tinged in his voice.  "If I had known…"_

_"You would have asked me to come sooner?" she inquired hopefully, finishing his trail off for him.  _

_"Yes."_

_"I'm glad to know that."_

_"Yes, but I should have asked sooner.  I should have not waited.  I should have…" he stopped speaking when she put her fingers over his mouth.  _

_"It's enough that you asked me to come."_

"It will never be enough.  We've lost time in which we could have spent together."  

_"It's okay.  I'm here now."  _

_"Yes, you're here now.  Finally, I can be here with you," he said achingly.  _

_"I'm happy I'm here.  I'm overjoyed  I came," she murmured.  _

_"I'm overjoyed you came too," he echoed her words, reaching down to clasped her hands into his.  "I've wanted to tell you something for the longest time.  Actually, maybe this began longer than when this existence existed.  I'm not quite sure of when my feelings for you became apparent, but they've been here for a while and have only grown over time.  _

_"I've wanted to tell you that I love you, Sakura.  I always will, and I want to be with you into the eternity.  I don't want to ever be without you."_

_Tears filled her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his tall, slender form.  "I've missed you too.  I've been wanting to hear these words as well.  I've… I've loved you for the longest time.  I think it began when I first saw you as Clow Reed when I went back into time.  I didn't know then because I was too young that my emotion for you was true love."  _

_"That long?" he queried, surprise in his voice.  _

_"Yes, that long."_

_"I love you."_

_"I love you." _

And she lifted her head up to be kissed by his own precious lips.  She licked her lips waiting for his own delectable lips to lower down onto hers and for him to taste the love in her very being with that sweet, simple kiss.  The moment his lips touched hers, he knew he had tasted eternity… 

"It was just a dream."  

**Author's Note:** You know the drill, leave an email so I can send you an email to keep you updated.  That's about it… I'm tired.  I have to go volunteer at the hospital now!  Ja ne!


	2. And So It Begins

Title:  **E t e r n i t y**

Author:  Yih

Written:  January 2002

Disclaimer:  All rights are Clamp.  

Visit my websites at http://www.seiki.f2s.com

2: And So It Begins

"SAKURA!" cried out Kero, launching himself into Sakura's open arms.  "You're back!  I've missed you so much.  You wouldn't believe the torture it has been here without you.  No cookies.  No brownies.  No ice cream!  The horror!  The atrocities your otousan and oniichan have put me through, especially your oniichan!  Ahhh… I cannot say anymore!  It has been that bad!  But now that you're home, you'll cook me some cookies, right?  Your special chocolate ones, puh-leeze!"  

Sakura broke out into a gigantic smile before Kero was grabbed and dragged away by Yue.  The moon guardian smiled complacently at her.  "We all have missed you very much, Mistress," he greeted her warmly, bowing respectfully in her presence.  "Don't let Kero fool you.  It's not that bad around here.  It's just he gets out of hand when he spends his allotted time at Touya's place.  We're all glad that you're back."  

"How is Yukito?" she asked.  

"He's doing very well," Yue answered with a soft smile.  "Things been going… well," a faint blush coming over his face as he finished his statement.  

"Awwww… sometimes they--  your oniichan and Yukito, they put me into a closet!  They—they don't think I don't know what's going on!  But I do!"  Kero grumbled behind Yue's back before Yue's hand closed Kero's blabbering mouth.  

Sakura blushed as well, smiling hesistantly.  "Where is oniichan?"  

"He's at the hospital right now.  I really should revert back into Yukito before he returns.  But until then, would you like to take a walk with me?  There are some things I need to tell you, Sakura."  

"Yes, of course."  

"Hey!  You two aren't going to leave me here are you?"

Sakura hugged the escaped Kero to her and whispered into his ear, "I'll bake you those chocolate cookies as soon as I get back, okay?"  

"YAY!" he exclaimed excitedly.  "I'll get the supplies for you ready when you return from your walk with Yue!"  

"That would be very helpful."  

Yue smiled at Sakura and reached for her hand, leading her out into the path that trailed to a nearby park from the apartment Yukito and Touya shared.  He wore a simplistic outfit, actually the outfit that Yukito had been wearing before Yue had borrowed his body to welcome his mistress home.  When they reached the park, he guided them to a bench where he asked her to sit down.  

"How do I begin?" he queried.  

"From the beginning," she murmured.  

Yue's tender look down at her made her heart skip a beat.  "You know Sakura, Touya and I have been talking when he's allowed me to transform that is.  It's not that I don't mind being an observer to the happiness that Yukito and Touya share, but I feel it makes Touya uncomfortable knowing that there is someone watching him and Yukito interact---  in the way they interact."  

"That would be understandable," Sakura replied, her eyes twinkling.  

"And the only solution that makes sense is to separate our entities.  I don't really want to give up my human form, but it makes perfect sense to.  My entity could be placed into a stuffed animal much like Kero until a body might be conjured for me.  I don't mind waiting for it, I have all the time to wait.  But Touya and Yukito only have a lifetime.  Besides, if the right body never came around I could always claim Yukito's body back when the end of the lifetime came."  

"That's very true," she agreed.  

"But it would be nice for them to age together.  And by separating myself from Yukito, it makes him wholly human and mortal.  He'll age as Touya will age.  They can grow old and happy and content together.  I feel that even though I am the one that placed Yukito into existence, he has become more than just created but a creator of his creator.  He gave me this emotions that I have never felt before… this new life that I can experience for myself now."  

"Yes," she whispered softly.  

"And we need your help to do it."  

"Of course, I'll help you," she responded quickly.  "I'll do anything I can.  But what can I do?  I'm not sure there is any Clow Card or spell that I've learned in my short time of being a magician that could possibly help you in this endeavor.  I can of course lend my strength and my magic to you.  But would that be enough?  I'm still not as strong as I'd like to be.  But at least I can support your magic alone, Yue, now."  

"Yes," Yue agreed, "you have been growing stronger everyday.  And college life suits you well.  You like it don't you?"

"It is different," she admitted.  "But I like it.  I'm thinking of doing an exchange program next semester.  I'm not sure where I'll go.  I think America though.  The United States of America, that's where I'll go.  There's so much I want to see and do.  Of course, I'll bring you and Kero with me, now that I can bring you once you're separated from Yukito."  

"Yes, that's true.  I've never been there before.  There's so much that I want to do as well," Yue reflected.  "There is much to see and to do in this world that it's impossible to do and to see everything.  I'd like.  We could do it together?"  

"Of course.  But I'm sure how.  I suppose I could look at the magic books that I have.  I'm sure there must be some sort of spell that I can find that will allow this separation of body and entity.  Unless, you know of a way?" she questioned.  

"I do not," Yue confessed.  "But I know you cannot do this alone because the created relies on its master and its creator.  You are my mistress, Sakura, but Clow Reed was my creator.  Both of you need to be here for it to work—the spell if we find one.  And I'm sure that Eriol will be the suitable substitute for Clow Reed in this case with the help of Fujitaka.  They are two halves of Clow Reed, two very different halves.

"One has become your otousan and the other a close personal friend.  I never knew that Clow Reed had such two different personalities.  The master that I was knew, the man that I called creator resembles your  otousan more than anything.  The smile, the gesture, and the way he acts all remind me of Clow Reed.  But Eriol, despite his magic doesn't have the vibe of Clow Reed, though he instinctively understands and has the intuition that I sensed in Clow Reed."  

"Are they really that different?"  

"Yes," Yue answered confidently.  "Fujitaka, your otousan, wanted nothing more than a normal, personal life without magic, without gifts.  Clow Reed was like that at one time.  He hated his magic because it confided him.  It restricted what interaction he might have had with others that couldn't understand what he was.  But then there was the Eriol in him, the drive to be the best, the one that reveled in the power, in the magic.  The Eriol in him loved magic because that part of understand that was an innate gift that was him.  But in self there can be love and hate."

"I never knew," Sakura said softly.  

"_I never knew_," Yue echoed her words.  "And I was the one that should have known better than anyone else.  I was the one that confided in him.  I was the one he confided in.  But it was only until I met both your otousan and Eriol, then I was able to piece together the puzzle of why Clow Reed allowed his demise when he did.  He saw this future because he had to see this future, and he wanted this future.  He wanted this separation of the two yearnings within him."  

"I never thought of his reincarnations in that way.  I thought he just had to inevitably be reborn like all creatures," Sakura said with contemplation.  

"He didn't have to be reborn when he was.  The future shifts and changes everyday depending on what you, what choices you make," Yue told her.  "Obviously he saw a future he liked when he was Clow Reed.  And at his death, he over two hundred years old.  He could have lived far, far longer than that.  It took him years to learn magic and many more years to create a foundation of new magic with the Clow Cards, mixing eastern and western magic into one molding.  But he did everything relatively quick.  He was incredibly talented as you are mistress."  

"Yes, he was really something, wasn't he?" she queried, awe in her voice.  

"Yes," Yue murmured with a fond smile, "and we need him for the separation to work.  He'd know best if it's even capable.  We'll doubtlessly need his power to help your fledging ones.  But have no fear, mistress, soon your powers will grow even more stronger and who knows?  Maybe you'll create a magic of your own."  

Sakura smiled sheepishly, wondering if he'd know what she had been working on at college.  "We need a message to be spent to him then.  As soon as possible, but I'll need your help, Yue.  You know don't you?"  

"How could Kero and I not know?  We can feel everything you do.  We are uniquely entwined to you by magic, and I especially," he told her softly, "because now, I draw the needed power from you instead of Touya.  I've noticed that you haven't had much in reserves, and I've tried to take sparingly."  

"And weakening yourself," Sakura answered.  "Yue!  You know what happens when you're not drawing enough power.  I don't care if it makes me a little light-headed, but you could get deadly sick like you did last time!"  

"Yes, mistress," he replied humbly, touched by her concern.  

"Good," Sakura said, smiling.  "Don't be foolish again or else I won't show you what I've been doing at college!"  

Yue nodded and watched her, knowing the aid she'd require would be a lending of his own magical support when she needed it.  Sakura cupped her hands in front of her, not chanting but simply closing her eyes.  She conjured the images of cherry blossoms, perfect and beautiful, lustrously blooming.  Slowly, one of those blossoms appeared in her hand followed by dozens of others until she held an over brimming handful.  She opened her eyes and hummed softly the message she wanted sent to Eriol, then glancing at Yue he lent her his magic.  She blew softly on the flowers and they disappeared traveling across distance and space to Eriol.  

"Thank you, Yue."  

Eriol was sitting in his study, reading a dull magic tome about the history of potions when an arrangement of flowers burst into the room, falling in front of his very eyes.  When he saw what the blossoms were he whispered her name, delicately and tenderly.  Then he stared with amazement as the centers of the flowers sent out beams of a pure, golden light all coming together in a single haloed image of Sakura.  

At first, he thought she was really there.  But he saw the wavering of the projectile and he knew that Sakura had been experimenting with new magic.  He smiled at the thought, always knowing she'd surpass him in any of his lifetimes very soon.  He sighed saying aloud, "Too bad I wasn't there to be her mentor.  I could have helped her so much, but it's better this way.  If I was that close to her for that long, I'd betray myself as I nearly did when she needed me to help her transform the cards.  But luckily my descendent was there to keep my mind frame occupied with more than my thoughts of Sakura."  

He was about to say something more when the hollow image began to speak with Sakura lovely voice, almost as if she were humming to him.  "Eriol-chan, my good friend and helper in all things, I've come here to ask you a favor of sorts.  Yue and Yukito have asked me to ask you, but I'd rather not talk about it until you're here.  We all would like you to come back to Japan.  We need your help Eriol.  Yours, Sakura."  

"How long has it been?" he mused.  "Five years or ten years?"  

"Nearly ten," answered Spinel.  

"More like eight," Ruby clarified.  

"So you two were spying on me," Eriol accused lightly, an amused glint in his eyes.  

"Of course," Ruby answered, "because you, master, are the most important thing to us.  We want nothing more than for you to happy.  We'll do anything to bring that joy.  You must believe it.  And we know that you want nothing more than for Sakura to love you.  And we're prepared to help you every step of the way.  Especially convincing yourself not to act the fool and take the opportunity to go to her when she asks it of you."  

Spinel was so stunned at Ruby's word all he could do was nod simply in agreement and inject, "Ruby's right, master."  

"Then," Eriol responded, "we leave tomorrow."  

**Author's Note:**  R/R.  Leave your email for notification.  And I can see this series ending in 5 parts and about 10,000 words.  I don't see this dragging out past that, if even hitting 10,000 words.  It has a small story arc in comparison to A Sweet Blossoming (Yue x Sakura) or Reminiscent (? X ?) ^_^.  You didn't think I'd tell did you?!  Anyhow, inspiration came reading old reviews and I wrote it this weekend after the SATS, -twists fingers- hopefully this explains a lot of things AND I do well on my SATS.  


	3. Exclamation!

Title:  **Eternity**

Author:  Yih

Written:  February 2002

Disclaimer:  All rights are Clamp.  

Visit my website here http://www.seiki.f2s.com 

3: Exclamation!

"He's coming!" cried out Sakura, waving around a sealed letter that was undoubtedly magical because it had arrived scarcely an hour later.  Yue had suggested that they go back to her otousan's house because if Eriol was going to reply, he'd do it there.  "He says he's going to be here tomorrow, which means we have only twelve hours to prepare!" she exclaimed, a look of utter panic in her eyes.

"But that means your Sakura message spell went rather well," Yue commented, his eyes twinkling in compliment.  "You've grown much as a sorceress, I'm very proud you, mistress."  

"I'd really like it if you called me Sakura," she told him softly, her eyes looking at him hopefully.  

"Mis--, yes, Sakura.  I suppose I could do that," he replied with a serene smile.  "I'm sure Touya will be excited to hear about the news of this.  I'd like to go tell him about this with you there."

"That won't be a problem," she said earnestly.  "I'm sure he'll be coming by here today, since it's my first visit back from college.  I'd hope he'd come; I'm his only imouto after all!"  

"I'm sure he'll come," Yue reassured her, "especially when he discovers Yukito isn't at the apartment anymore.  That reminds me…"

"Kero!" screamed Sakura, jumping to her feet when she saw her sun guardian in full form outside of the window.  "We forgot Kero at Touya's apartment!"  

Kero growled from outside the window, distinctively saying, "How could you two leave me alone in the apartment waiting for your oniichan?!  By the time I realized you had left me, he'd already arrived back!"  

It wasn't long before Sakura heard the charming ring of the new doorbell that Fujitaka had installed a month ago.  Ding-ding-dong.  Ding-ding-dong.  "I'm coming!" she called out.  

Both Yue and Sakura rushed to the door, which flew open to an anxious Touya.  "Where have you been?" he barked at Yue.  "I was worried for you!" he yelled before grabbing the moon guardian toward him, not even noticing that it was Yue instead of Yukito.  

Sakura stomped on his foot with her shoe before Yue got too close to the enraged Touya.  "Watch who you're screaming at!" she shouted.  "That's Yue, not Yukito!  And who would treat their boyfriend in that way?!  He's allowed to go out whenever he wants to with whoever he wants to!"  

Her oniichan glared at her before dancing around holding his injured foot in such a hilarious manner that even Yue cracked a lopsided grin.  "That wasn't funny!" he grumbled, running his hand through his tousled hair.  "Besides that, I had to put up with that—that deformed Kero in my car!"  His eyes sent daggers at the true form of Kero, who merely showed Touya his teeth.  "He's much more manageable when he's in the mousey form!"  

"I'm sorry," Sakura apologized, "but Yue and I really needed to talk about things, Touya and Kero.  It's important that we tell you what we've been talking about.  If you two would please come in without bickering more, we can start the conversation and the sooner that we do… the sooner Touya, you get Yukito, and the sooner Kero, you get to eat."  

That quieted both Touya and Kero quickly at the prize they saw dangling in front of their greedy eyes.  Sakura barely managed to resist the urge to laugh at the totally serious expressions on their faces.  She knew without a doubt she had their full attention this time, and she'd hold it until she finished talking.  She gestured with her arms for them to enter, following in as Yue lead them to the living room area.  

"Do you want to tell them or should I?" Sakura asked, sitting down next to Yue while Kero settled down on top of her lap.  

"I suppose I'd better be the one to explain," Yue murmured.  He wringed his hands together, uncharacteristically self conscious and nervous.  He almost grinned; he was even beginning to act a bit like Yukito.  "I've noticed for a long that that you seem to be a bit uncomfortable when—um, Yukito makes advances at you, Touya."  

Touya blushed hotly while Sakura lifted her eyebrow up at her oniichan.  "Sweet, innocent Yukito makes advances on you, niichan?" her voice was incredulous.  "Talk about that surprising me!"  

Kero was turning a crimson red at this point, ducking his head into Sakura's lap, unable to say a word.  Touya coughed and grumbled, "You don't need to give her that additional information, Yue.  I don't thin that's necessary or pertinent to the subject."  

"It's quite relevant to the issue," Yue declared.  "It has to do with that very discomfort.  I know this because you stare into Yukito's eyes as if you know that I'm watching, which I am forced to by no choice of mine.  That is what I want to discuss.  I think that there are a lot of things that can be done to solve this problem.  You could either get less inhibited or we can figure out a way to separate myself from Yukito permanently.

"That is what Sakura and I wanted to tell you.  It's very important that you understand what we're trying to do needs the utmost concentration to work, and that I'll be needing to be away from you for a while.  Or actually, that would be Yukito," he murmured.  "However, we must also warn you that it might not work, so don't get your hopes up."  

"What do you think?" Sakura asked, breaking up the silence after the stunning declaration of their intentions.  

"I think," her oniichan began slowly, "that would be wonderful.  But I don't want to put either of you at risk.  It doesn't bother me as much as you think it does, Yue.  Though I would like it if it were possible."  

Yue and Sakura shared a smile.  "We have asked Eriol to come back to Japan to help us," she said.  "If there's anybody that can help us, it's him."  

"Are we ready to go?" Eriol asked.  He looked at both of his guardians, pride shining in his eyes watching the two of them emerge from the shadows to surround him in their powerful presence.  There were times he didn't believe he had created them.  And then again, there were times he wished he hadn't with their constant bickering.  

"Yes, we're ready to go, master," replied Ruby and Spinel in unison.  

"Hold out your hands," Eriol commanded.  "Well Spinel, you fan out your wings."   

They both complied, their arms and wings surrounding Eriol in the center.  They didn't have to be asked to close their eyes when he began to chant the spell.  His words were soft, smooth like velvet and filled with such strength and force that they didn't believe he'd lost any of his magic when he'd split his powers into two.  

His magical staff appeared in his right hand easily and he tapped Spinel and Ruby on the shoulders.  He pulled the staff closer to him, whirling the bottom until a hole began to form into the floor.  He whispered out warningly, "Just let it happen."  

They didn't need any further instructions, they relaxed their limbs and allowed the vortex to pull them in.  If they hadn't done it a thousand times before, they probably would have tensed up and made the ride very bumpy and difficult.  By relaxing their bodies to the sensations, they floated through the space easily like air instead of the force having to pull them in and push them through.  

"Well, that was certainly a fast ride," Spinel commented.  

"How long did you think it would take?  Twenty four hours?" Ruby gibed.  

"It was shorter than the plane," he remarked defensively.  "Much more pleasant as well."  

"That's magic for you," she responded sarcastically.  

"Hush you two," Eriol said rather sharply.  "Can you not get along for this much needed vacation?  If I knew you two were going to argue as soon as we got here, I should have left you in England."  

"I'm sorry," Ruby responded quickly.  "I'm really happy that you decided to take us here with you even though you didn't need to."  

"I apologize as well," Spinel added in his own confession.  

"That's okay," Eriol said, smiling cheerfully though a bit strained around the corners of his mouth.  "I'm just a bit nervous; therefore, it caused me to snap at you two."  

"That's okay," Ruby repeated his own words to him.  "We both understand perfectly how you feel.  I'd be nervous too, at least anxious for the confrontation.  You know me, master, I'm always up for some excitement though I might get a few jitters in my stomach."  

"Thanks for you understanding."

For the past few minutes, the trio had been walking around rather aimlessly around the streets, not sure of where exactly they were going.  It was Spinel, rather disturbed that Eriol actually understood Ruby that pointed out that they had no idea where they were going.  Ruby promptly hit him over the top of his head and declared, "I know exactly where we're going!"  

"And how would you?" asked Spinel bitingly.  "You've never been to Sakura's house before," he pointed out.  "Unless you did it on the sly without telling either of us."  

Ruby glared at Spinel and pinched his cheeks until he started screaming at her to let him go.  Eriol sweatdropped, watching both of his guardians, thinking that perhaps Spinel was not quite Yue's equal.  Though he was rather composed most of the times.  But if Yue had to hang around Ruby as much as Spinel, he might possess a bit of a yell of his own.  

Yue, yelling?  The thought amused Eriol greatly.  So greatly that he didn't even notice that they were passing a picturesque scene of a beautiful girl with emerald eyes that was staring at them while they were passing.  He didn't even hear her when she started shouting at him, caught up in the reverie of having seen a ghost like image of Sakura in front of him.  

"ERIOL!" cried out Sakura, running toward him.  

He stared past her, caught up in a dream of disbelief until she began shaking him.  He shook his head and focused his eyes onto Sakura.  Hs smiled sheepishly, a drop dead gorgeous smile that took her breath away.  He had changed so much since she had last seen him.  She swore he had to be taller than her oniichan if that were possible.  She felt incredibly small, short compared to his lithesome beauty.  

"Sakura," he whispered her name in a tantalizing slow warm voice, taking a long breath to regain his composure, "so we meet again."  He never thought he'd be seeing her by accidentally bumping into her.  It astonished him, and gave him a start.  He'd expected the first meeting in nearly a decade to be a glorious affair where he showered roses around her, the flower of love.  This had not been what he'd expected in the least bit.  But still, he'd never forget the enthusiasm in her voice as she shouted his name.  

No, he'd never forget that.  

**Author's Note:** Send an email to sakurafanfics-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to subscribe to my emailing group to find out the latest information on when I release my fanfics!  It's also an emailing list for letting other people know of when your fanfics are out and to let me know a little bit more and communicate a bit easier with my reviewers!  Now you can nag me all you want =).  Nag away, and review away!  I appreciate you guys more than you know =).  


	4. Dreaming in Flesh

Title: bE t e r n i t y/b

Author: Yih

Written: March 20, 2002

Disclaimer: All rights are exclusively Clamp. 

Visit my website at http://seiki.envy.nu   
  


4: Dreaming in Flesh

He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close to his side. Burying his face into her sweet smelling chestnut hair, he thought this is what he had been dreaming of all of his life. To hold her as he was holding her, to touch her as he was touching her, to be with her as he was. This was a like a dream come to life.

"Eriol, what are you doing here so early?" she asked breathlessly. "I thought you weren't coming until tomorrow." 

"The message sounded urgent, and I didn't want to alarm you if I came late instead of early," he explained. "I thought I'd be over as quickly as possible, but I didn't quite know when that would be myself. So I gave myself some time to get here." 

He mentally shivered in delight that she hadn't drawn her body from his own yet. Her warm flesh was pressed against his in an almost exquisite torture of pleasure and pain. He yearned and he burned for her. He instinctively tightened his arms around her, drawing her closer to his body before he relaxed his hold and let her go. 

She hugged him tighter instead, her arms still clinging around his neck. "I've missed you very much," she whispered into his ear. "You shouldn't have stayed away for so long." 

He would have liked to have told her why, but it wasn't the time. Not quite, but he reminded himself adamantly that he was going to tell her his feelings for her before he left. "I've been quite busy for the past few years," he murmured unsteadily. 

"Yes, he has been," Ruby remarked, a hidden innuendo in her words. "He's been very busy." 

Eriol blushed, hiding his face in Sakura's luxurious hair. He admitted silently to himself that Ruby was right, he had been very busy thinking almost exclusively of Sakura. And if he hadn't been thinking of her, he had been daydreaming of her instead. A night hadn't gone by since he had left her those long years ago that he hadn't thought or dreamt of her.

"I can understand being very busy," Sakura responded, smiling at Ruby. "I've been quite occupied myself with college studies and all. It seems that things continue to pile up over the years rather than the opposite. The load hasn't lightened at all since I started." 

"Sakura," called out a masculine voice, "aren't you coming inside?" 

Ruby's eyes widen with delight and merriment at hearing the object of her obsession coming out of the house. She hurled herself onto him, but she didn't hold onto him for long before Yue grabbed her and disengaged her from Touya. She glared at Yue, about to launch herself at the fellow moon guardian when Eriol said sharply, "Ruby!" 

She sulked back to him, still staring angrily at Yue for spoiling her fun. "Yes master," she answered, flicking her finger at Spinel, who was on his back laughing his guts out. Everyone's attention was turned to that odd sight of the normally solemn Spinel laughing hysterically.

"Why don't you guys all come inside?" asked Kero sensibly, his mouth stuffed with cream puffs and assortment of pastries that no one was quite certain of anymore. "I mean, so we can start talking about what needs to get done and all." 

Everyone stood there, exchanging peculiar looks between the calm Kero and the crazed Spinel then shaking their heads as if they didn't believe this was happening. Eriol picked up Spinel and headed into the house, causing the rest to follow him inside. He plopped the gasping Spinel onto the couch and sat down besides his guardian, looking up expectantly at Sakura. "You said there was a matter that you needed to tell me in person?" 

"Yes," she answered, sitting down besides him sending a thrill down Eriol's spine, "we need your help." 

"I'll do all I can," he promised. 

Sakura smiled brightly. "I knew that you would," she remarked happily. "But it's something that will require no doubt considerable effort on both of our parts. Yue came to me," she gestured to her guardian, "with a wish to be separated from Yukito so that Yukito and Touya could have a normal life without the his presence. He would not mind giving up his physical form so that Yukito and Touya might grow old together, then reassume it when Yukito dies." 

"The problem," Eriol began, "is considering where we could put Yukito's soul." 

"In a stuffed animal form like Kero," Sakura replied, "I have a bunny that Yue finds suitable enough." 

"Then the only problem is how to reverse Yukito's aging when Yue returns into his former self," he remarked. "That indeed is quite a problem because I know of no spell the reverses aging much less brings back the death indeed if you wish to wait until Yukito is dead before reclaiming the body." 

"I had not thought of that," Yue said softly. "But isn't it my magical power that keeps me from aging, that gives me my immortality? Wouldn't that solve the problem of aging if I wait until Yukito is about to draw in his last breath?" 

"That should do it," Eriol reluctantly considered, "however, you cannot miss the timing. We," he glanced at Sakura, "can't miss the timing either. Yue will need our help as well in this. And Yukito especially," he looked at Touya, "will need to be careful about dangerous accidents. Because if Yukito dies before we can transfer Yue's soul than he'll have to stay in the stuffed animal form for his entire life span, which is eternity."

"I'll take the risk," Yue declared. "If anything, it's only a body." 

"You don't need to do this," Touya said. "It only makes me uncomfortable at times, and at other times I don't even notice." He flushed at the thought that it was when he was highly excited and lost in the moment that he didn't notice anymore. "I don't want to risk losing either of you prematurely, you are one of my closest friends, Yue." 

"That means a lot to me," Yue responded. "But I want to do this for you and Yukito, I hope you understand that eternity won't matter to me if at least part of me can't enjoy the love of his life. Yukito is a part of me, and I want him to enjoy every second of his paradise." 

Eriol lowered his head, his eyes heated with the sensation of finally claiming his own piece of heaven himself. He told himself to calm himself down and breath in deeply. When he lifted his head, he found Sakura looking at him with concern. "Are you okay, Eriol?" 

"Yes," he answered, "I'm more than okay." 

"Do you think it will work?" 

"It will work, but there are many risks involved. Indeed, there are almost more risks for a single gain, really," Eriol remarked. "And since my former self created you Yue, I feel responsible for your welfare. I don't want to see you trapped by some disaster." 

"For every gain, there has to be a risk," Yue replied. "And I'm willing to take the risk. All you have to do is help Sakura work the spell out. Because the creator as well as the master needs to be there. You were the creator, Sakura is the mistress. I haven't asked you ever for a thing, Eriol-- Clow Reed's reincarnation, but this is what I'm asking you. Do this, help me." 

Eriol's face paled and his face tightened with the thought by helping his creation, he may ultimately end up destroying him. But he nodded and conceded, "Yes, I'll help you, but you must realize if things don't go precisely perfect, I don't know what will happen to you." 

"Yes, and I've already said I'll take the risk," Yue stated firmly. 

"So when do we begin then?" Eriol inquired. 

Sakura looked at Yue, then to Touya and answered, "As soon as we tell Yukito about it." 

"You haven't told Yukito yet?" asked Eriol in an incredulous voice. 

"No, we didn't want to tell him until we told Touya and we were about to tell him when you came, early," Sakura explained. "I think that Touya would be the best person to explain it to him, right niichan? You and Yue could stay here while the rest of us go to my bedroom and figure things out." 

"Okay," Touya said. 

The rest of them left the two of them alone and Yue closed his eyes, focusing his energy into withdrawing his presence into behind Yukito's self again. Yukito opened his eyes, dazed as he always was and stared with confusion at Touya, "What? Where am I?" 

Touya held Yukito in his arms, hushing and calming his frazzled nerves with a soft and soothing touch. "We're at otousan's house because Yue has asked Sakura and Eriol for a favor on his behalf." 

"What would that be?" Yukito asked with curiosity, recovering quickly to wrap his arms around Touya's waist. "I've missed you." 

"I've missed you, too," Touya responded gruffly, holding Yukito's wrist hoping to halt his advances long enough that he'd still have a coherent thought. "But before we do anything," he said pointedly, "I want you to know that this favor very much involves you." 

"Oh?" Yukito murmured, his eyes looking up with pure want that made Touya's knees feel like jelly. "Can't it wait?" 

"No," Touya answered sharply, his breath coming faster and his heart beating erratically, "it can't wait. I need to know how you'd feel if Yue separated from you permanently until the day you were going to die, then he'd regain his body. You would grow old with me and you'd never have those memory lapses. You'd never be confused every again." 

"Well, I don't know. I've never thought about that. I didn't even know that it was possible." 

"It's very much a possibility," he remarked, holding Yukito tightly. "But there's a risk that Yue might be stuck as a stuffed animal if an a deadly accident happened or if the timing was wrong when he went to reassume his body before you died." 

"I see." 

"But Yue is willing to take the risk, and I'll always be there to watch over you. I won't let anything happen to you if I can help it. Besides, Sakura, Yue, and Kero will be around if anything like were to happen. I'm sure nothing will go wrong as long as we're careful." 

"Do you need my consent as well?"

"Yes, we do." 

"Would this make you happy?" Yukito asked. 

"I don't care as long as you want it." 

"I know that knowing that Yue is around makes you uncomfortable, but I worry about what if something does go wrong," he murmured. "I'd never want anything bad to happen to him because of me." 

"But it won't, we'll all make sure of that," Touya declared. "Nothing bad will happen." 

"I know it will make you happy, so yes I'll do it." 

"You know what Yukito?" he murmured warmly, drawing his lover closer to him. Yukito's eyes asked him better than words at this moment, so he answered, "You've made me very happy." 

"I know." 

"Thank you, Yue," Touya murmured before kissing Yukito's breath away. 

iYou're welcome, Touya. I hope that this will make at least a part of me undeniably happy. It's been a while since I've felt so alive, and that has entirely to do with you. So this is my gift to you as well to Yukito because I knew it was going to make you happy as well. It's time that you received something for coming to my aid all these years, and bringing me back from my isolation. You're more than welcome, Touya. 

Thank you. /i

bAuthor's Note: /bSorry that it took so long, but I'm back now for the long haul. There shouldn't be many parts before this starts wrapping up. Hopefully, this series will hit 100 reviews ^-^ but if it doesn't that's understandable since it's not as long as my other ones nor as it as popular! Please review! Tell me what you think?! Please?


	5. Puzzlement

Title:  Eternity

Author:  Yih

Written:  May 2002/ June 2002

Disclaimer:  All rights are Clamp.  

5: Puzzlement

He drew in a ragged breath standing in front of the mirror.  He hadn't thought that being in Sakura's presence was going to have such a dramatic affect on him.  After all, he considered his ability to suppress his emotions quite high.  Had he not repressed his feelings for Sakura for these past years?  But he truthfully had to admit, it was also cowardice at being rejected that held him in check as well.  

When he looked up at himself, his reflection---  he disliked what he saw.  The long lashes and the shock of flowing dark locks, reminded him too much of his past life.  It wasn't that he wanted to escape the past, he had thought that there was no way he'd be going back that far.  It was a foregone conclusion that he'd resemble Clow Reed, he was the reincarnation.  But he had always hoped that it was only a mere resemblance.  

But as he stared at the image staring back at him.  He was looking into the very picture of what he had been.  From the elegantly defined cheeks to the thin sensual lips, he was the perfect twin of Clow Reed.  The only thing that made him slightly different was that he chose to wear contacts instead of glasses, his only chance to be removed from the past.  He was afraid that magic was going to absorb this future as it had the last.  

"Eriol?" called Sakura, knocking on the door.  "Are you ready?"  

He took a ragged breath and he whispered to himself, "I'm ready.  I'm going to tell her today, now.  If I don't, then I'm never going to be able to tell her.  I have to tell her.  I have to, it's been eating up at me for too long."  

"Eriol?" she murmured with concern.  "Are you okay?"  

"I'm fine," he responded clearly this time.  "I'll be out in a minute."  

He splashed cold water on his face before smashing his fist against the mirror, cracking it in the center of Clow Reed's reflection.  He waved his other hand over the mirror and reversed the cracking until the broken shards sealed back into one, forming back Clow Reed's face.  He clenched his fist underneath the cold water, letting it sting before wrapping his knuckles in a towel to hide his visual frustrations. 

Biting his lip harshly, he left the bathroom and ran into Sakura while he exited.  His surprise undid him, causing him to drop the towel wrapped around his bloodied hand.  Poor Sakura's eyes widened with shock at the bloody mess, her cries bringing not only Yukito, Touya, and Kero but also Spinel and Ruby.  

"What's wrong?" asked Touya immediately.  

Sakura rushed into the bathroom and grabbed a towel and the first aid kit.  She quickly pushed Eriol into the bathroom and began to tend to him tenderly.  Clucking her tongue like a mother hen, she fixed his wound up gently.  Eriol watched her with fascination, the utter care she gave to him touching his very core.  To have something so good coming from something he thought was bad, gave him a simple coursing of pleasure.  

"Eriol injured his hand, that's all," Sakura finally replied, though it was quite obvious as the crowd gathered in the tiny bathroom to watch her tend to the injured.  "It's not a big deal, I was just surprised that's all.  I was a bit overwhelmed at the bloody towel."  

Spinel and Ruby exchanged knowing looks between the two of them.  They knew quite well what had happened.  It happened frequently back home, though it occurred at random intervals.  They knew what was causing it, they just didn't know how to solve it.  They always assumed once he saw Sakura again, things would be okay---  happy again.  

Eriol touched Sakura's cheek tenderly, causing her to look up in surprise.  "Thank you, Sakura," he murmured softly, withdrawing his touch quickly when she looked up.  But the astonished expression on her face hadn't been a bad thing, she hadn't been expecting that from Eriol.  

"It's no problem," she answered with a sweet smile.  "You need to be more careful, okay?"

"I will," he responded with a touching smile of his own.  He hesitated, his hand reaching instinctively to pull back a lock of hair that had fallen over her face.  He had been about to do it when he pulled back with his uncertainty.  The smile evaporated as he turned his face to look at Ruby and Spinel.  "I need you two to go the mansion and start looking for any magic tomes that you can find.  Put them all on the large dinning table, while I look around Sakura's house for anything that Fujitaka might have."  

Spinel and Ruby bowed and stepped back, disappearing from view with a push from Eriol's magical force.  He closed his eyes briefly, though it had seemed easy, it has actually taken out more from him than he had expected.  He had to stop misjudging his magical abilities.  He wasn't what he had been.  He wasn't the all powerful sorcerer, that job lied with Sakura now.  

"Are you okay, Eriol?" asked Sakura, her hands resting on top of his and her concern written on her face.  "You seem a bit tired."

"Yes, I am.  It's been a long day for me and I haven't been sleeping well."  He hadn't been sleeping well because he had been continuously been haunted by dreams of Sakura.  He couldn't close his eyes for any long period of times before her image, her essence, her being would haunt him.  

Sakura's hands cupped his face and lifted it up to meet her green gaze.  "Maybe you should take a short nap.  I'm sure that between Kero and I, we can find any magic tomes that my otousan might have.  You just take a rest even if you can't take a nap, okay?"  

It shook him how she understood his sleeping problem.  But maybe she had those herself, those puzzling dreams he had sent her while she was trying to capture the Clow Cards and solve the mystery had to have been unsettling.  Only, she didn't know that it was his own problem, his own obsession, his own passion and love for her that made him disturbed in his sleep.  He wished, he wished so badly that he could tell her how he felt without any hesitation.  

"I love you, Sakura."  

_The vision before him turned away from him with a withdrawn expression on her face.  "I don't know what to say," she began.  "I had guessed that you felt that way."_

_"Tell me what is in your heart," he urged her, hoping beyond hope that perhaps she did feel something for him, some love.   _

_"I do know that I do not feel like that for you," she turned back to him and clasped his hands.  " I'm sorry Eriol.  You are one of my closest friend, but I do not love you in that way.  I love you only as a friend.  Please forgive me."  _

_He felt the soft exquisiteness of her hands in his own and he pulled her into his embrace where he held her to him hard.  But equally forceful, he pushed her away from him and let her go.  His head fell to his chin and a single tear fell from his eyes.  When he finally spoke, his voice was dejected, "Thank you for telling me the truth, Sakura."  _

_"I'm so sorry, Eriol."  _

_"What do you have to be sorry about?" he inquired lightly, his head lifting and he stared at her with a waning intensity.  _

_"That I do not feel that way for you.  But I do love you and I care deeply for you."  _

_"That is even more than I expected."_

_"Don't sell yourself out, Eriol.  You are a wonderful man, a brilliant magician, and a loyal friend."  She reached up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek.  _

_"But not good enough for you to love."_

_"I do love you, just not in the way that you want me to." _

_"I'd rather then, you not love me at all!"  _

_He stormed away, running away from the pain that thumped in his heart every minute he was by her knowing that she did not feel the same way about him.  He didn't stop only going faster, his feet moving with unnatural swiftness.  He didn't pause even though she was screaming at him.  _

_"ERIOL!  ERIOL!  Don't leave me alone!  ERIOL!"  _

_The tears poured from his face when her voice finally faded and he was alone again.  He huddled down into a corner and his body shook from his sadness and his torment.  When the storm finally calmed, he touched the  cheek that she had kissed reverently.  _

_"Sakura..."_

"Eriol!  Eriol!  Eriol, wake up!" Sakura shook him frantically, alarmed with all his kicking and the tears that had poured down his face.  "Eriol, please wake up!"  

"Sakura..."  

"Eriol?"

He opened his groggy eyes and shifted them to Sakura.  "What's wrong?"

"I think I'd better ask you that question.  You were the one crying," she responded tenderly.  Her hand wiped the tears off his cheeks and she sat down next to his side.  "Tell me what's wrong.  What did you dream about?"  

He opened his mouth and then he shut it, paralyzed with a fear that she had heard everything in the dream.  He hadn't known he was this vocal in his dreams.  He wondered if things were always this way and that was why Ruby and Spinel were so concerned about him.  But he'd never had physical tears on his cheeks either.  It must be Sakura's presence that was magnifying everything.  

"I don't really remember, but it was a sad dream."  

"Was it about Kaho?"  Sakura asked sympathetically.  

He searched her expression, puzzled why she would ask such a thing until he picked up on her curiosity about their relationship.  After all, he and Kaho had always been close.  They had to be close because his past self had seen into the future and had know that Kaho was a very important factor in leading Sakura to what she would be and was now.  

He could take the easy way out and say it was Kaho.  But he didn't want to lie to Sakura, especially when all he wanted to do was tell her the complete truth.  There was a reason he allowed himself to die when he did.  There was a reason he needed Kaho.  There was a reason that he could not stop thinking of her.  

"No," he replied honestly, "it was not about Kaho."  

"Would you like to tell me what was wrong then?"  she asked softly, her eyes incredibly warm and he knew he wanted to, but not yet--- not at this moment.  

"I can't tell you right now.  It's not the right time."  

"I understand," she replied quietly.  "But I am here for you in case you ever need someone to talk to."  

"I know," he smiled gratefully.  

"Kero and I didn't find anything that would help in my otousan's library.  I think you have all the magical tomes at your mansion," Sakura said and smiled back.  "So we might as well head over there."  

Eriol nodded and watched as she walked out of the room, wondering if she'd one day walk out of his life entirely.  

"Sakura...  how I wish I could tell you...  without the fear of rejection."  

**Author's Note:**  Well, this was done for a while, it's just that ff.net has been very frustrating recently.  But I'm back for the long haul, but I still have a load of commitments, so I'll try my best.  I'm almost done with this one.  I'm like half way done with Blossoming.  And I've finally begun the sequel to Reminiscent!  Yes, I'm definitely here for the long haul!  


	6. Switched Bodies

Title: Eternity  
  
Author: Yih  
  
Written: January 2003  
  
Disclaimer: All rights are Clamp.  
  
6: Switched Bodies  
  
"Ah ha!" Kero exclaimed triumphantly as he landed on precisely the right spell. The rest of the occupants in the room, Eriol, Sakura, Touya, Ruby, Spinel, and Yue glanced over at Kero's direction with dubious expressions. First off, Kero had already made that sound a hundred times so far and none of the spells he had found thus far had any use in the tedious process that they were undertaking.  
  
"Let me guess," Spinel said derisively, "you found the spell."  
  
"I did!" Kero cried out victoriously. "How did you guess?"  
  
Ruby and Spinel both exchanged an entirely disgusted look at Kero and in their opinion, his lack of any possible intelligence. It was times like these that Spinel was glad that Ruby was his partner guardian and not Kero. Heaven forbid if he had to put up with a stuff mouse with low level of intelligences, he already had to put up with Ruby and that was torture enough.  
  
"What do you have for us?" Eriol asked in a tired, but still his voice was threaded with patience and kindness. Maybe Kero had something this time. It might be a maybe, but they had to try because so far, no one had turned up anything remotely close to what they were looking for.  
  
Kero flew over with the heavy tome and pointed to the spell that he'd found. He was grinning as Eriol's eyes widened at what he read: How-To- Switch-Entities-In-Every-Way-Shape-Or-Fashion. The fact that there were no guidelines, but instructions on how to manipulate the spell to get it the way desired made this the perfect spell. "Kero found it!" Eriol exclaimed excitedly.  
  
"Good job, Kero!" Sakura said, hugging the stuffed mouse affectionately while in the background, Spinel and Ruby both face-faulted. Trust the dumbest of them to have the most luck.  
  
After spending a few hours pouring over specific details that had to be manipulated for their purposes, which was to remove an entity from a body with two entities. There were actually detailed instructions on this, which had been the problem with using the Switch card since it didn't recognize separate entities, switching entire entities to different bodies rather than a specifically targeted one.  
  
They also spent time to actually do a small test to make sure that everything worked out fine. Well, it worked and they were quite confident it'd work. And of course, Eriol was enthused and full of confidence, which only made the rest of them feel so much better. Just before they were about to do the spell, Eriol asked to speak to Sakura privately.  
  
"What do you want to talk about?" she said in a cheerful, though highly anxious voice.  
  
He smiled reassuringly. "It's nothing major, but I think you're more nervous than Touya is--- and he's pretty frazzled."  
  
Her cheeks turned pink. "I can't help it," she admitted. "I'm just scared something will go wrong."  
  
He took her hand and squeezed it. "Nothing will go wrong, I won't let it, okay? Have I ever failed you before?"  
  
The way he was looking at her, made her cheeks turned even pinker and this time it wasn't from embarrassment. That had been the way she had wanted Syaoran to look at her, but he had never had and eventually her crush on him had faded. But as her heart started fluttering even more and this was not about nerves, it was something entirely different. She smiled beautifully at him. "No, you haven't. You're wonderful, Eriol! I've full confidence in you!"  
  
The way she was gazing at him, made his heart skip a beat. Was he just dreamer or were her eyes softer and looking at him in a light that wasn't entirely like 'friends'? He must be dreaming, she wouldn't think of him in a romantic sense. Yet, it still felt good that she had confidence in him and that she'd call him wonderful, he could live with that for now.  
  
"Let's go back in and get on with the spell. Relax," he repeated, "and nothing will go wrong. Nerves only tend to make your focus unsteady and we definitely need your focus there, Sakura."  
  
She nodded and she took the hand he offered. As she was holding his hand, she felt something electrify within her at his simple touch. She glanced sideways, disappointed that his expression didn't change, it was the same. She'd felt something, hadn't he?  
  
Behind the cloud of smoke that had indicated that the spell had gone right, none of the people in the room could tell if the spell had gone correctly until they heard the distinctively voice of Yukito exclaim happily, "It worked! At least, I'm okay, are you okay, Yue? Wow, this is like the first time that I'll be able to talk to another part of myself! This is so incredible!"  
  
Touya grinned, when Yukito got excited he had a tendency to get a little ditzy and hyperactive with his words as well. It was cute and adorable, so he didn't mind it much if at all. It was when Yukito wasn't hyperactive or ditzy that he was worried because that meant one of two things: that Yukito was sad or that Yukito was sick. His incessant talking was indeed a very good sign.  
  
"Yes," Yue answered in a soft, refined voice, "I'm okay. I have to admit, I respect Kero much more for putting up with his stuffed animal form now." His voice had a hint of amusement at the fact he was no longer in human form but in a too cute bunny form. "It feels strange."  
  
As soon as the smoke cleared, Sakura rushed over to Yue's side and scooped him up in her arms. "Oh you are too cute!" she exclaimed as she tickled his little white belly. Yue scowled, which only made his features even more adorable. "That's so cute!"  
  
Ruby and Spinel moved over and had to admit that Yue was looked awfully adorable. "Yue can no longer have that indifferent look on his face anymore," Ruby remarked. "He'll have a cute smile on his face for the next few decades! KYAAAAA, I'll have so much more time to memorize his features! WYAAAA!"  
  
Spinel and Kero sweatdropped at Ruby's excessive excitement over the fact that Yue was going to have a little cute bunny smile basically plastered onto his face since there were only two expression he could have a smile and a larger smile. Well, he could learn to frown as Kero did, but it'd take some time to getting use to. All in all, Kero and Spinel had huge grins on their faces as they tried to suppress their laughter.  
  
"I'm glad everything worked out," Eriol commented, trying to shift the conversation to the successfulness of the spell rather than the obvious products of it. "You were fabulous, Sakura."  
  
She blushed as she always did whenever someone complimented her, but she couldn't help but feel that she wasn't only flushed from his compliment but from the fact that whenever he looked at her, she felt like she was on a different level. The change had happened only an hour ago, but she didn't think these feelings had just surfaced in an instant, she'd always liked Eriol as a friend.  
  
It was just recently that she realized that maybe she liked him as more than a friend. That thought didn't alarm her or confused or even puzzled her, she only wondered what she'd too. She was terribly afraid to be rejected because after all, she was only Sakura and he was Eriol. She was cute and childish, while he was gorgeous and mature. How could she win such perfection as he was?  
  
"Is something wrong, Sakura?" he inquired softly, a worried look on his face. What concerned him was that her eyes were so much further away from him than she actually was.  
  
She shook her head immediately. "No," she said sheepishly, "nothing's wrong. Nothing's wrong at all!"  
  
The way she said it didn't convince him in the slightest that she was okay. She was trying too hard to make it seem like she was okay, which made him only believe the opposite. "You aren't good at hiding your emotions."  
  
"You aren't," Yue agreed.  
  
It was then that Sakura realized that this moment she was sharing with Eriol was far from being private. She was so shocked at that, that she let go of Yue, who being a bunny without wings immediately crashed to the ground. Her eyes widened as she cried out, "I'm so sorry." Then something dawned on her. "You can't fly?"  
  
Yue grimaced. That hadn't seemed like a high fall, but considering that he was a stuffed animal of the size that he was, that had been a pretty good distance. "I don't have wings," he said pointedly.  
  
Eriol chuckled. "That can easily be fixed," he remarked and with a wave of his staff, Yue now had wings. "Try them out," he urged.  
  
"That's easier said then done!" Yue grumbled, disbelieving how much he was sounding like Kero. "These are new wings, it's not like I've had them for hundred of years."  
  
Everyone chuckled at Yue, who only glowered at them which reminded everyone too much of Kero. That made them laugh even harder while Yue tried to get his new wings to work. He managed to rise himself up a few inches before he hit the floor again. He tried again, but too no avail he couldn't make himself get any higher than half foot.  
  
"I'm tired," Yue stated wearily. "I give up!"  
  
Sakura smiled and scooped Yue up into her hands and nuzzled him which caused him a flush a light pink. "I'll take you home so you can get some rest. Come on Kero."  
  
Kero started flying after them, while Eriol said suddenly, "I'll take you home."  
  
Sakura looked back at him. "That'd be great!" she exclaimed. She was delighted that he was going to take her home, but she was also extremely nervous, which Kero and Yue both noticed. There was an awkward few minutes as they drove to her house before she finally asked, "How are things in England?"  
  
"Like they always are," Eriol responded immediately. "How are things here?"  
  
"Good," she remarked. They again fell into silence. In her lap, the drive was taking much longer than the spell had to transport them to Eriol's house, so both Yue and Kero had fallen to sleep. "They're so cute," she commented. "It'll take a while getting use to Yue being so cute."  
  
"You're cute," Eriol blurted out.  
  
She blushed heavily. "You're cute too," she murmured back shyly.  
  
He glanced at her as she was staring at him. The way their eyes met gave her the same electrifying feeling, the same feeling Eriol had had every time they touched. He recognized something different now, though. He recognized that she also felt something because her eyes didn't have the same nuances that they had had before. "Sakura?"  
  
"Did you feel that?" she asked.  
  
He nodded. "You felt it, too?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"I have something to tell you," both of them said at the exact same time. "You go first. No, you go first."  
  
"I'll go first," Sakura declared, her face a bright pink. He nodded with his agreement. "I've never had this feeling before... I think I like you."  
  
Author's Note: OMG! I can't believe I actually wrote in this again, it's all thanks to those reviewers that kept nagging @ me after my last update. And YES, I realize it's been a REALLY, REALLY long time--- 6 months. I'm really sorry, I really did want to finish this, thus this was actually suppose to be a ten-parter, but I've condensed the story and moved the action much more quickly in this chapter. I do apologize, but I'm getting to the cool WAFFY chapter next and I promise it won't take me 6 months this time. But wasn't this chapter worth it?! Please review, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH IT HELPS. It keeps fanfics from dying. It certainly makes me write! 


	7. Everlasting Kiss

Title: Eternity  
  
Author: Yih  
  
Written: January 2003  
  
Disclaimer: All rights are Clamp.  
  
Title: Eternity  
  
Author: Yih  
  
Written: January 2003  
  
Disclaimer: All rights are Clamp.  
  
7: Everlasting Kiss  
  
He slammed on the brakes, causing both Kero--- the plush mouse and Yue--- the plush bunny to tumble to the ground off of Sakura's lap, making the two of them wake up abruptly. Eriol wasn't even concerned about the two guardians. He was much more focused on Sakura and what she'd just said. "Are you serious?"  
  
She nodded shyly, unsure if his reaction was good or not. It didn't seem bad to her. "Yes," she said in a soft voice. "Didn't you feel that feeling like an electric shock?" He nodded. "I've never have had that feeling before, have you?"  
  
Catching her gaze, he said in a husky voice, overcome by the wonderment that she returned his feelings for her, however partial it was, "Yes, I've had the feeling before, but only for you thought. I had the feeling years ago when I first met you."  
  
She was mesmerized by the passion in his voice, but his words made the excitement pounding inside of her not all ecstatic joy. "Why didn't you tell me then?"  
  
"Because," he explained in a tender tone, "you didn't feel anything for me then. You felt something for my descendent instead, and I thought he felt something for you, so how could I interfere?"  
  
Kero and Yue had been about to complain about Eriol's poor driving skills when their ears perked up when they caught the intriguing progression of the conversation above them. Yue had always had the suspicion that Eriol liked Sakura. After all, hadn't Eriol retained all his memories of being Clow Reed? And hadn't Clow Reed been able to see the future?  
  
He suspected that Clow Reed had seen the future and had liked what he'd seen to the degree that he'd started planning everything perfectly so that he'd be reincarnated in the future that he desired. It made sense to why Clow Reed had decided to forsake Eternity for this Eternity. He hadn't understood back then, but he comprehended now.  
  
Kero was a bit shocked that Eriol liked Sakura, but then again he didn't mind if Eriol liked Sakura as long as it wasn't that Li Syaoran who had disappeared years ago and had hurt his Sakura so badly. He'd tried to tell his Mistress that that Li Syaoran boy was no good, but did she ever listen to him? No, absolutely not. But at least now, she had found someone that could make her happy. That pleased him immensely.  
  
"So what do you say?" he inquired lightly, trying not to make it seem like a big deal, but it was indeed a very big deal. "Will you go out with me? I really do like you."  
  
He couldn't believe how easily the words flew out of his mouth. For the past several years, he'd struggled with his feelings and now it was so simple. He'd wasted those years, but he was certainly not going to waste the years ahead that they had. If things went perfectly, if things went well... they had many, many a years before they even had to worry about anything.  
  
Sakura felt a warmth take over her heart. This feeling of liking Eriol seemed strange at first, but as time moved on, it made more and more sense for her that he did like her for a long time. And she had liked him when she first saw him, though she'd always had a strange feeling about him. The strange feeling was that electricity between them. "Yes."  
  
There was an overwhelming joy that made him cup her face impulsively and give her a soft, gentle kiss. The kiss was like velvet, though passionate it remained smooth and comforting. Slowly, Sakura opened her lips barely, which allowed Eriol's tongue to dive in, tasting her sweet flavor. He chuckled at Sakura's shy tongue that dodged his playfully until finally touching his. He wanted to groan with desire, but he was satisfied with everything right now.  
  
It'd been his dream since many a year ago. He was finally living it now and how wondrous it was. It was more than he'd ever believe was possible. It was beyond anything he'd dream. This kiss symbolized how truly passionate and loving he knew their relationship would be. It went far beyond passion too, yes, he had a passion for her, but it was more that their souls matched.  
  
The first time he had seen her in his visions of the future, he'd been charmed by the adorable baby she was, the adorable girl that she grew up to be, the adorable woman she'd be. In his arms now, he couldn't believe how blessed he was go be holding the most beautiful sorceress in the world. He'd never let her go. And one day, he'd tell her exactly how much he already loved her.  
  
Below Sakura's knees, Yue and Kero were holding each other's paws, dancing around in a circle with their joy. They'd witness first hand the first kiss the two of them had exchanged. Both were beyond overjoyed by the turn of events, they couldn't wait for the relationship to progress fufther. While they waited, they decided they'd let their joy do a little dancing for them!  
  
"I'm so glad that everything went well," Touya declared, wrapping his arms around Yukito's slender form. "And I'm glad that this happened, even though I was so worried that something would go wrong."  
  
Yukito giggled, which brought a smile onto Touya's lips. "You should know that Sakura would never let anything happen to me, you know how much she loves you and cares for you."  
  
Touya nodded. "I realize that. She also loves you and cares for you a lot, too, Yuki."  
  
Yukito smiled. He pulled away from Touya's arms and looked up at his lover. "You know what? I always thought Yue would be more dignified than he is. I never thought he'd fall trying to fly."  
  
The windows in Eriol's car had become steamed over from how hot their kiss was getting. They hadn't broken apart from each other yet. Yue and Kero had stopped dancing, taking a seat on the dashboard to get an even better look at the show. Kero actually had to lift Yue up to the dashboard, since Yue's wings still weren't functioning well enough to give him more than five second flight ability.  
  
"I'll betcha anything they kiss for another hour," Kero remarked.  
  
"How long has it been so far?" Yue asked.  
  
Kero glanced from left to right. "I dunno," he answered, "but ti's been a long while."  
  
"I'll take the bet." Kero grinned and as Yue watched the grin spread on Kero's face, he grimaced. "I'm so not acting like myself."  
  
"You know," Kero commented reflectively, "we're both much more dignified in our true forms."  
  
Yue sweatdropped.  
  
Eriol and Sakura continued in their oblivion to kiss.  
  
- The Story End -  
  
Omake: When Yuki is a Bunny?!  
  
The smoke still hadn't cleared so nobody in the room could tell yet if things had gone right or not until Yukito cried out in a little squeaky, kawaii voice, "Something's wrong!"  
  
"What's wrong?" Touya asked, alarmed.  
  
"I have fur!" Yukito exclaimed.  
  
Everyone blinked as they witnessed a beautiful Yue in his natural guardian form and the poor Yukito in the plush bunny form. Touya quickly gathered Yukito into his arms and shouted at Eriol, "WHAT IN THE HELL WENT WRONG?"  
  
Eriol sweatdropped. Sakura sweatdropped. Ruby, Spinel, and Kero fell to the ground laughing because Yukito was squirming in Touya's hands. "That tickles!" Yukito giggled. "Oh, that tickles!"  
  
It wasn't long before the rest of the room burst out with laughter.  
  
All Good Things Must End.  
  
But Not Quite Yet.  
  
Cast Interview with the Stars of ETERNITY.  
  
Yih: Hello, Ladies and Gentleman, I--- Yih, the humble producer, director, and scriptwriter would like to proudly introduce the two main stars of ETERNITY, Ms. Sakura playing Sakura and Mr. Eriol playing Eriol!  
  
(APPLAUSE)  
  
Eriol and Sakura hand in hand walk out onto the stage.  
  
Yih: Good evening, Ms Sakura and Mr. Eriol.  
  
Sakura: Good evening.  
  
Eriol: (nods)  
  
Yih: Let's get right to the interview, shall we?  
  
They both nod.  
  
Yih: Ms. Sakura, playing yourself ten years hence or so, how did you feel falling for Mr. Eriol?  
  
Sakura: (blushes deeply) I felt nervous at first, then I got use to acting and well...  
  
Yih: Did you fall for him?  
  
Sakura: (tomato red)  
  
Yih: (turns to Eriol) How do you feel about Ms. Sakura?  
  
Eriol: (also blushes) The same as she feels for me.  
  
Yih: It was said that during ETERNITY, you fell for each other, is that or is that not true?  
  
Eriol and Sakura: (both are EXTREMELY red)  
  
Yih: Please, pretty please answer?  
  
Eriol: yes...  
  
Yih: AWESOME! ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!  
  
Eriol and Sakura: (sweatdrop)  
  
Yih: So did your other co-stars, Mr. Yue, Mr. Kero, Mr. Ruby, Mr. Spinel, Mr. Touya, and Mr. Yukito also continue their relationships?  
  
They both nodded in the affirmative.  
  
Yih: I must say Yue was absolutely adorable as a plush bunny!  
  
Sakura: Yes, he was! I totally agree! He was so cute! Kawaii!  
  
Eriol: But very moody and grumpy about the entire thing.  
  
Yih: Yes, I remembered. He disliked that he couldn't fly, did he not?  
  
Eriol and Sakura: (nod)  
  
Yih: Well, (looking at watch) That's all the time we have. Is there anything that you guys would like to say to your ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE fans?  
  
Eriol: We thank you sincerely for supporting us. Thank you so much. (bows low)  
  
Sakura: We hope that you will continue to watch for further works from us and Yih. (bows equally low)  
  
AfterWord  
  
Author's Note: The Omake was suppose to be a part of the story (that Yuki turned into the bunny first before it ended up right) but I had to cut it out because things were getting too long and I was afraid I wouldn't finish it, so I made an omake on it (funnier than it'd be in the story) and hope that you enjoyed it. In the cast interviews, Sakura + Eriol both agree to stay tune to further works because A SWEET BLOSSOMING will be returning in the near or far future. I WILL FINISH IT! Like I finished this one. Please Review, that means a lot! Did you like the omake and the cast interview?  
  
This Is The End... Read No Further After The Dot. 


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